Most of us know that fruits and veggies are good for us to eat. What you might not have realized, though, is that they’re more than just good for your body; they’re good for your hair as well!

Whether you’re eating these fruits and veggies or mixing up homemade hair mask recipes with them, it’s a good idea to consider adding some of these fruits and veggies to your grocery list.

Citrus Fruit

Fruits such as berries, cherries, oranges, and lemons are loaded with vitamin C. You’re probably aware of the immune system benefits of vitamin C when you’re sick, but did you know it can also help your hair?

Vitamin C and other antioxidants in these fruits help the scalp and aid in hair growth — something that typically poses a challenge to hair types 3C and 4.

In addition, you can squeeze the juice of one lemon and mix it with some aloe vera for a penetrating, moisturizing, dandruff-reducing hair mask. Just leave the mixture on for about 45 minutes, then shampoo the mixture out.

Avocados

You’ve more than likely heard of people using avocados for facial masks, but you can also use avocados in a hair mask. Just mash and mix with some olive oil, apply, and wash out. If you’re not so inclined to mixing up masks, but love avocado or even guacamole, you can at least eat this vegetable knowing that it’s beneficial for your hair.

All of the oils in this vegetable come together to provide moisture for your hair, which is something almost all curlies need. Hair types 3, 3C and 4 will benefit in particular.

Carrots

Carrots (and even carrot juice, either manufactured or homemade) are loaded with beta carotene. Once you ingest the carrots, your body converts the beta carotene into vitamin A.

According to Nadege at Relaxed Hair Health, vitamin A helps your scalp produce sebum (a natural oil our scalps produce), which will help keep your hair from drying out. While this will benefit any curlies, it’s most likely to benefit those with hair types 3C and 4, since they may have the kinkiest, driest hair due to oils not being able to move down the curl pattern.

Apples

While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, apples can actually bring back hair that’s been lost. Vitamins A, E and B are present in apples. Vitamin E is a nutrient-rich vitamin that contains healing properties for both the skin and hair. Vitamin B will help give your curly hair that nice luster and shine you’ve been missing. Hair types 3C and 4 are more likely to need this, but hair types 2 and 3 could also benefit.